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For some people, coffee can stimulate bowel movements in addition to providing energy.
Despite its popularity, there isn't a lot of research on why coffee sends so many people running within minutes of drinking it.
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"In some cases, like with coffee and bowel movements, there may not have been enough medical demand to do serious research," Dr. Kyle Staller, director of the General Hospital Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory, explained by email. from Massachusetts.
"It may also be a case of the obvious. Which means you don't need multiple studies to know that coffee induces bowel movement when it's such a big part of so many people's daily lives."
Drinking coffee can get your colon going, but there isn't a lot of research to explain why.
There may just be something special about coffee, and the research that exists proves "the patients are right," said Staller, also an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Some small studies have shown that drinking coffee was more effective than warm water in inducing bowel movements.
Which is an implication, since "water is an integral part of normal digestion, and the digestive tract releases and reabsorbs large amounts of it every day," Staller added.
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Of course, this doesn't mean that adequate water intake isn't essential for your overall health.
"About 60% of your body is made of water," Jerlyn Jones, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said in an email.
Now, whether the coffee is caffeinated or decaffeinated doesn't seem to matter much in the studies, according to other research.
Which suggests that, in some cases, compounds in coffee in addition to caffeine could be responsible for sudden bowel movements.
The effect of coffee on colonic activity could be more related to special compounds than just caffeine.
The identities of these compounds and how they might interact with the digestive tract are still largely unknown.
But here's what the researchers have discovered so far.
Coffee could cause colon contractions
The colon experiences three types of contractions that work together to mix, press, and ultimately expel stool.
The onset, timing, and frequency of these contractions are influenced by muscular, neural, and chemical factors.
Coffee might stimulate this colonic motor activity within minutes of consuming it, based on the limited research available, Staller said.
Twelve healthy people experienced this activity during a 1998 study, when they agreed to have a sensor probe inserted into their colon.
Over a 10-hour period the following day, participants consumed hot coffee, decaf coffee, water, or a meal in random order.
Both types of coffee and a meal caused more contractions and pressure in the colon, compared to water.
Caffeinated coffee was 60% more effective than water in stimulating colonic motor activity and 23% more effective than decaf.
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Several participants in another study said that drinking coffee made them want to go to the bathroom and then went through a similar test.
Their colon activity increased within four minutes of drinking unsweetened black coffee, an effect that lasted at least 30 minutes.
Those results likely mean that coffee doesn't come into direct contact with the lining of the colon, but instead affects it through a "gastrocolic reflex," Staller said.
Which means that when coffee comes in contact "with the lining of the stomach it triggers a nervous system response or a hormonal response that causes the colon to start contracting," he said. "The contractions of the colon move the stool in the colon toward the rectum and that's it, you feel like going to the bathroom," he added.
Melanoidins -- compounds that are formed during coffee roasting -- have dietary fiber, which aids digestion and prevents constipation, Jones said.
Could affect hormones and stomach acid
Coffee also appears to stimulate the release of the hormone gastrin, Staller said, which enables the production of gastric acid (stomach acid).
Gastric acid helps digest food and can stimulate colonic activity.
Researchers discovered in 1986 that drinking caffeinated or decaf coffee affected gastrin levels quickly and significantly.
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After fasting overnight, men in a small 2009 study were given a meal and black coffee, or just a meal.
Drinking coffee significantly sped up the time it took for food to leave the stomach and enter the small intestine after eating.
"Some compounds in coffee may also interact with opioid receptors in the GI tract," affecting bowel function, Staller added.
Dairy and digestive health
Now, if you're lactose intolerant, but enjoy cream with some coffee, this could be the culprit behind any sudden urge to poop.
"One way to find out what makes you go to the bathroom is to drink coffee without dairy creamer or without milk and track your symptoms for a few days," Jones said.
Research suggests some digestive benefits of drinking coffee.
But should your daily morning coffee be what you use to keep you pooping regularly?
If you're constipated, it's not unreasonable to drink coffee to help get things moving, Staller said.
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"But don't rely solely on it to move your bowels," Jones said.
"Talk to your doctor if you're having trouble going to the bathroom regularly."
Jones recommended slowly increasing dietary fiber intake "with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds."
"The average American adult consumes only 12 to 14 grams of fiber per day, and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day for adults."
People prone to loose or urgent bowel movements "may want to consider that coffee may also be a trigger for these unpleasant events," Staller said.
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